Persona 6: Reverie
by neverknowing99
Summary: In the town of Kyoto, Yumeko Kanashii takes her first steps into a much larger world. Still set in the world of Persona, the game of the gods has begun. With an entirely new cast of Persona users, will you follow their journey into the world of dreams?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:(Afternoon of Monday, April 2, 2018)**

The night sky illuminated the vivid landscape. The soundless balcony reflected what little moonlight being shown, was where he was traveling to. Karting in an elegant set of pottery and accessories on his cart, it was filled with a carefully brewed tea as he was approaching his master. Laying out the set in front of him on his table, the master kept his eyes closed but his mouth still smirked as usual. He meticulously poured out the tea he had crafted, making sure every single drop made it into the cup. He added what his master enjoyed in his drink, and stirred it gently. As he stirred, he looked up into the sky and saw what was his everyday view. A sky full of stars, unknown and wild. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse. It twinkled, zoomed past and dissipated. He stopped stirring. Eyes dilated. He slowly put down the tea and his master spoke.

"Ah... You saw it too, didn't you?" The man with the long nose said to his loyal attendant. His attendant kept his eyes fixated on the stars for a time and slowly replied.

"It seems that the wheel of fate has begun to move. Ever so slowly to its destination..." He said as he put his gloved hand on his chin. His master smiled once more and took a sip of his tea.

"I wonder...with this signal, should the fate of the chosen be changed for the better? Or shall the chosen be prey to despair? Shall fate be so cruel?" He pondered out loud.

The man with the long nose chuckled a bit. His subordinate looked at him and kept his straight face.

"Patience. Fate is always moving, never stopping, just like the streams that carry life... In any event, we must make the proper preparations... To begin to help nurture whoever comes through that door." He looked up again and saw a small crack of light.

 **Connecting Train, Kyoto**

She yawned again as she was awoken by a sudden tap on her neck. The bright-eyed attendant was asking if she wanted anything to eat and showed her the menu of food. Sashimi, Karage, and Ramen. She chose the Karage and asked for a melon soda. The attendant nodded and wrote down what she wanted and went back to her station. Pulling out her book, she started reading, flipping through the pages, smelling the leaflets of the story she was delving into. It was hard for her to concentrate, however especially with all the butterflies and excitement she had built up inside. She remembered what her mother said before she departed on her journey.

"You're going to Kyoto for High School. I know how much you wanted to finish school with Mayuri, so I and your father have decided to send you to Masayume High. We made sure your transcript was transferred correctly, so you won't be stunted in your classes. While we're on a business trip to the States, you will be moving in with your Aunt and she will be housing you until we come back. Be nice and treat your niece and nephew well, and I hope you enjoy your final year of High School. We love you, stay in touch!" Her mother's voice rang in her mind, and she smiled a bit, remembering her parents. She didn't want to leave her hometown in Shibuya, but she was looking forward to seeing her Aunt and her children.

The train racketed it's way across the land, brushing past the lush green fields, the spring season had just begun and she hoped it would stay like this longer, before the heat of summer ruins her mood. The karage arrived with her melon soda, complimented with a small bowl of rice. She pulled out her own chopsticks and began to eat. She occasionally looked out to the window on her right, capturing the landscape of the new city she would be living in. She was still quite a long ways away, and she slowly took it all in.

"Salty." She thought to herself as she bit into the karage. Her face scrunched a little, but she enjoyed the fried meal anyways. The melon soda cooled her throat and mouth and gave her the sweet taste she always craved. It was Mayuri that got her addicted to it anyway.

After finishing her meal, she wiped her chopsticks clean, put it back in her bag, and went back to sleep as she put her pillow on the side of her. She kept sleeping and sleeping throughout the ride to Kyoto. She dreamed of many things, of success in life, in finding the love of her life, and of delicious food. Many people at her school called her a sleepyhead, and she didn't deny it. It was her favorite pastime after all. Her parents once set up an appointment to diagnose her, in case she was in danger of sleeping too much. The doctors didn't find any negative effects of her constant sleep and told them it was good that someone at her age was getting enough sleep, as many people around her age barely got any at all. Her mind began to wander and soon found herself in a construct of her imagination.

The sound of rain pounded the windshields of the cars near her, the cyclist that sped past her as he was late to another board meeting, and the child, putting in his last few pieces of Yen to buy himself an Iced Tea surrounded her as she took a step forward into a busy intersection. The people that surrounded her were figments of her imagination, but to her, it felt all too real. As she continued dreaming of walking the streets of Kyoto, a small blue butterfly flew in front of her face. Looking at it and extending her finger to let it rest on it, a small smile bloomed on her blank face. It was a cute little thing, but it gave off a bright light that should be impossible to have. She let it float on to her finger and almost petted it, as it was just intriguing to her. Suddenly, she staggered back and before she could process what was happening, she closed her eyes and felt a thud.

She found herself laying on a grand bed, soft, comfortable, and smelled of cherry blossoms. Her vision blurred, head feeling like whiplash. She looked at her hands and found that they were covered by satin white gloves, embroidered with golden streaks. Feeling the softness and the touch of the fabric, it felt unreal, almost alien and dreamlike. As her vision started to return to her, she noticed that she was in a room that was not her own. The room consisted of a Grand Master Bed, a large dresser with a vanity, and a large window, covered with a soft fabric as well. The room was illuminated by the light shining from the moon and the stars. Slowly arising from the lush bed, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were wide open when she examined her new garments. Instead of her normal jeans and shirt, donned on her was a silken dress, complete with all the accents that came with it. It was a beautiful dress that accentuated her features as if she were a doll. It had a top that reminded her of the old dresses she saw in classic western fairy tales. She liked it for its otherworldly flair, with its accents of green, white, and gold carefully designed. The dress complimented her bright green eyes and her long golden blonde hair that was unusually tidy and combed. As she slowly took in the surroundings around her, a bright light shone from the door in front of her.

"Where... Where am I?" She asked herself silently. She locked on to the bright light from the door.

Nervously, she approached the door with caution and slowly opened it. What she saw before her was, just like a setting from an unworldly land. A beautiful landscape painted the land, complete with lush vegetation and streams, a massive castle and white mountains, miles away from where she stood. The night sky shining down brightly on the landscape, illuminating the white colors and concealing the darker ones. She looked away and noticed two men, sitting down on a large couch that wrapped around the balcony and a small table in front of them. There was a man with a large nose, exaggerated eyes and black suit and a very attractive young man in a dark blue butler suit, with dark silver hair and golden eyes, standing behind his would-be master. The man with the large nose smiled and looked at her with his eyes as he opened his arms and began to speak.

"Welcome, to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor, and I hope we didn't scare you coming here. Do not be alarmed, you are simply dreaming in the real world. This Velvet Room, transcends both Mind and Matter, Dream and Reality. You are safe here, I promise." He said in a calm voice. He looked at his attendant and he nodded.

"Would you like some tea?" The young man asked. Igor kept looking at the attendant, and he quickly realized his proper manners.

"Ah I apologize, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Gordon, it truly is a pleasure to meet you." Gordon nodded, and a chair appeared before her.

"Please, take a seat. We just wish to talk."

She slowly walked to the chair and sat down. It was just as comfortable as the bed was. The girl continued to curiously look at her dress. Aware of her curiosity, Igor chuckled followed with Gordon responding.

"This Velvet Room is a safe haven for you. It is a place where no one may reach you, and we wished to make you feel special, by granting you these special clothes. You are the most treasured person here, and I hoped my selection for clothing worked to make you feel that way." He said, almost proud of his clothing selection for her.

"W-why am I here?" She asked. "All I could remember was..." She said still doubting what happened and looked down.

Igor smiled and began to speak again.

"Such curiosity. It appears this Velvet Room has manifested itself in a way that has adapted to your psyche. Indeed it is quite apparent that you possess a high spiritual sensitivity. But forgive me. I haven't even asked your name..."

"It's... Yumeko. Yumeko Kanashii." She said a bit hesitant. Gordon wrote down the name and smiled at her.

"It is a beautiful name indeed. With that said, the contract has been sealed. You will most definitely be an interestingly beloved guest." He clasped his hands together and smiled again at her.

"In time, you shall come to understand more of the nature behind this room, and what my dear assistant and I may do for you in the coming days. But for now, we will leave you be until the right time occurs. You will know exactly when to come back to us." He looked at his attendant again, nodded and looked back at her. He smiled again, almost delighted as he spoke

"Life is always in motion, it is always a rapid current, ever changing, ever variable and wild. Life needs balance, if there is none, then the world will always be changing in unpredictable ways. I believe you could be the one to bring about this balance. For if there is none, then only ruin on a nightmarish scale can be brought upon us." Igor took a sip of his tea and began again.

"I will leave you with one more piece of advice. In the next coming years, your heart, mind, and soul will be changed. Keep yourself open to this change if you so wish, but remember these few words."

He leaned in just a tad bit more.

"Balance is the key to all things in life. To become ever engrossed in bliss can lead to stagnation and illusions of grandeur, while fear of the unknown can lead to paranoia and mistrust."

Within that instant, Gordon snapped his fingers, and she slowly went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2** **:** **Kyoto** **(Evening** **of** **Monday,** **April 2, 2018)**

She sprung herself awake. Jerking her head around, quickly taking in where she was.

The sound of the tracks filled her ears. She was back on the train to Kyoto, with only 15 minutes remaining before the train arrived. She looked down and saw that she was back in her normal clothing, with her light blue jeans, white shirt, and a light green urban jacket. Flipping open her sack and case, she put on her sunglasses and put away her pillow, neatly tucking it away. Staring back out into the city, she found that the train was already in the neighborhood. Putting a finger on her chin, she pondered what just happened.

"Who was that man with the long nose…. I think his name was Igor…. And that man next to him, he looked like he was just a servant, but he had something just as mysterious as Igor."

She chuckled a bit. Brushing off her blanket, she stood up to get some feeling back into her numb legs. Murmuring to herself,

"It was probably just another bizarre dream. I doubt I'll see them again. Though… It felt so real. Like I was actually there this time. Unlike when I tried to before..."

"We are nearing our destination, all passengers please gather your belongings, our staff will assist you in unloading your luggage. Thank you." The conductor of the train said over the loudspeaker. She looked up and saw her luggage on the top bunk. Since there was no one next to her, she had the seat all to herself. Sitting back down patiently, she put in her headphones to listen to some music before she was interrupted by a text message.

She tapped on the message and saw it was from Mayuri.

"Hey! I'm already here waiting. I'll be the one with the big sign and balloons! I can't wait to see you again Yume!" The text message was sent a few minutes ago. She smiled and replied back to her.

"I'm almost there. About 10 more minutes before they let us out." She quickly replied so she could go back to listening to her music and looking out into the city. Tapping her fingers rhythmically, she followed the beats of the song. She was a lover of Jazz, Oldies and sometimes some of the modern trash. An old soul, that was what she was called numerous times whenever her friends came over to hang out with. She played the piano once during a school recital, some thought she was some transfer student because she played like an expert.

As she let her music play, she pulled out the picture she and Mayuri took before leaving for Kyoto. Smiling, she began to recount her relationship with her best friend.

"Mayuri was always like a sister to me. We were inseparable when we were younger and even as we grew up. We met as most children do, when our parents took us out to the park and coincidentally, we were enrolled in the same school. Mayuri was always more active than me, she was a cheerleader growing up, got along with everyone and everyone wanted to know her as much as I did. I was more of a silent girl, I mean I sleep more than most people ever do anyway. But I always supported her during her cheerleading performances and watched out for her. During our 2nd year of high school, Mayuri had to move to Kyoto due to her parent's work requiring them to move. I'm glad to at least finish High School with her, it wouldn't be the same without her." Yumeko recounted. As she played with the picture a little bit, she could hear the loudspeaker once more, even with her music trying to drain out the noise.

"We have arrived in Downtown Kyoto. Please wait until the signal lights turn on and doors open. Be sure to have your luggage ready, we will have the crew available to help. We thank you for riding Tokyo Expressways, we hope to travel with you again." She quickly got up and grabbed her things and rushed towards the door. She was the first one there, she didn't like having to deal with her being crushed by the large crowd. As soon as the doors hissed open, she took a quick pace and went up the escalator. The terminal was crowded, it was the major connecting terminal between Tokyo and Kyoto, so it was no wonder why it was busy. She looked around for her best friend, Mayuri. She was probably the easiest person to see, as she flailed her arms in the air and yelling out her name.

"YUMEKO! YUMEKO Kanashii!" She yelled out, scaring away people from her. Yumeko blushed a little and was filled with joy to see her childhood best friend again. They quickly locked eyes and ran up to each other with a tight embrace. The pair wrapped their arms around each other tightly and held each other for a little before they let go. Mayuri put her hands on her best friend's shoulders and was giddy with joy.

"I've missed you so much Yume! It's been too long since we've seen each other face to face!" She said with some tears in her eyes. Yumeko quickly wiped them away and hugged her best friend again.

"I've missed you so much too Mayuri. You've gotten a lot taller. You've also changed a lot more than when I last saw you."

"Heh, well I guess I hit my growth spurt a lot later than most people huh? I mean, I'm about to surpass you in height too!" She said putting her hand on her head and gliding it towards Yumeko's to see the comparison between the two. She smiled again and looked down and grabbed Yumeko's luggage.

"Come on, your aunt is here waiting for us! We can talk all day when we get back to where you'll be staying." She smiled and the two walked together to the car. They pushed past the crowd of people, making sure they could arrive in their ride in time so that they can start going into each other's life story. That's just how Mayuri was, with her dearest friend.

Her cousin stood at the trunk of the car and smiled as the two of them arrived out of the terminal. She gave a big warm welcome and gave Yumeko a hug as she took her bags from her.

"Welcome to Kyoto! You remember who I am right?" She asked curiously. Yumeko smiled and quickly replied.

"Of course Aunt Aika, it's been so long since I've last seen you." She looked around the car and tried to see if her niece and nephew were in there as well. Aika saw her curiosity and indulged her.

"Oh don't worry, Junko and Hayato are at home preparing dinner. They're eager to see their Aunt Yumeko!" She smiled lovingly. Yumeko chuckled nervously as she rarely liked being called with a title like Aunt.

"Well, come on in! I know you just got down sitting down on a train for a few hours, but please bear with me for just a little while longer." She said as she put her bags in the trunk, and Mayuri opened her door for her. They sat down and drove off to her new living space for the year. Aika broke the ice and started to speak up.

"So, are you excited to be attending your last year in high school here?" She asked as she adjusted her rearview mirror. Yumeko smiled and replied

"It depends. I had some good friends in Shibuya…" She said scratching her chin. She suddenly nudged her arm against Mayuri and said

"But I think I'll enjoy myself here, as long as this girl's by my side." Mayuri smiled back and nodded at her.

"I made sure we had the same homeroom teacher. I'll introduce you to the school, don't worry, I think you'll like it better than our old academy. It's a lot less strict and the people are friendly!"

"Well you make friends everywhere you go Mayuri. That's like an inherent trait you have." She said teasing her. She did a playful scoff and nudged back at her. Yumeko laid her head back on the rest, but a thought had popped in her mind.

"Aunt Aika, how do you know Mayuri anyways? I don't think you two ever met when we were in Shibuya." She asked as she looked at the both of them. Aika responded quickly.

"Ah, good question. Well, your Dad called me and told me that Mayuri was living here in Kyoto too. Apparently, your dad and her's kept in contact after they moved, so to make your transition here easier, he gave me her contact information and we talked a little bit. I told her that I would be housing you for your final year of high school, and she utterly-" Mayuri quickly interrupted.

"I utterly did an entire flip in my room with joy. I almost hit my ceiling fan too!" She said jokingly. "At first I didn't know what to think. We talked only over messages, and video chatting. When I got the message you were coming here, I knew I had to make your final year great!"

Yumeko smiled and they talked all the way back to Aika's apartment. As they arrived, she took a good look around her new surroundings. It was located in the heart of downtown Kyoto. It was a two-story apartment that looked more modern. The surrounding apartments followed the same theme as well. The first floor was mainly a place to eat and relax together, while the second floor was more for sleeping and being alone. As soon as they entered the house, she smelled the aroma of freshly cooked rice and meat.

"We're home!" Aika said out loud as they took off their shoes. The sudden pitter and patter of tiny footsteps came from the second floor and thus appeared, Junko and Hayato.

"Welcome home!" Junko said cheerfully. She looked up and saw her Aunt Yumeko.

"Hi Auntie!" She said with a giddy look. Before Yumeko could react, she felt her hug her legs. Yumeko was caught off guard but was pleasantly surprised that her niece was so joyful and happy to see her. Even though she barely even remembered her. Yumeko patted her head and smiled back.

"Hey there Junko." She bent down and looked at her niece, at her face level. She brushed her little braid on her hair and played with it a bit. "You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you. You're still just as adorable as ever." She said letting go of her braid and gave her a light hug.

"R-really? But I'm not as pretty as you Auntie!" Pouting a bit. Yumeko smiled as she scratched the back of her head a bit.

"I mean, I'm not THAT pretty." Yumeko said to herself. She patted her head and just smiled at her. Mayuri was already putting Yumeko's bags up in her room as she tapped Yumeko on the shoulder lightly, giving her a nod. Yumeko looked around and she didn't see Hayato anywhere, her nephew. Looking back down she asked her niece.

"Junko chan, where is your brother?" She asked kindly. Junko's face went sullen for a bit but pointed up toward the second floor of the house.

"He's up there. Hayato ran upstairs after he helped me cook…" She says as she hangs her head a bit. Suddenly, Aika went upstairs to bring Hayato down as well to welcome Yumeko. As she was trying to bring Hayato down, Yumeko and Junko went into the kitchen, living room hybrid. Their house was nice and quaint, neatly organized as well. She expected it to be a bit messier since Aika does have two children and no one else to help her watch her kids. Junko held Yumeko's hand and lead her to her seat as she ran around in the kitchen to get her food ready.

Mayuri also came down just in time to join her best friend.

"Did you cook something for me as well Junko Chan?" Mayuri smiled at her. Junko gave her a warm smile back and nodded.

"Mhmm! I and Hayato made enough for everybody!" She said as she was getting the food in a bowl. The kitchen smelled of the aroma of ramen, and not the cheap kind either. It had a sense of love and care. Which surprised Yumeko, she had barely seen her niece before, and the way she treats her, it feels a little too close for someone to be.

"Then again…" Thinking to herself, "She is still just a kid, she might see me as like an older sister. I wouldn't have expected her to be lonely though, she does have a brother. But… Something seems off between them. Apparently, Hayato went straight to his room after he helped cook, and Aika's been up there for a long time…" Yumeko seemed lost in thought again. Mayuri looked over at her friend. She laughed and patted her back, trying to see how she reacted.

"Are you spacing out again Yume?" She said concerned. Yumeko looked back at her and just smiled.

"No, I'm okay! Thanks, Mayuri." As they ate dinner together, Yumeko started to feel closer and closer to her older cousin and niece. The evening continued to drag on until Mayuri realized it was getting late. Aika offered to take her back home for the night.

"N-no thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I did bring my bag and uniform with me, and I was wondering if I could spend the night?" Mayuri asked sheepishly. Aika thought about it for a moment and nodded her head.

"Go ahead, you can sleep in Yumeko's room. I'll have Junko find you the futon!" And with that, the two friends are reunited, and ready to face their final year of high school, together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3** **:** **Demonic** **Omens** **(Morning** **of** **T** **u** **e** **sday,** **April** **3rd,** **2018)**

Dust, Sulfur, and Heat. That was all that she could feel as she walked through what seemed to be hell. The place she was in, it felt eerie, unknown and everywhere around her had a dark green tint, shrouded in fog. She felt an immense pressure, it was as if she was being squashed like an ant everytime she moved. Her breathing was sporadic, she felt like a massive lump had taken place in her chest that forced her to only take sparse breaths. She dropped to her knee and coughed furiously. She could've sworn some blood spat out of her as she heaved. By some force of unknown will and strength, she slowly got back up and kept walking forward.

"Why am I…. Doing this to myself?" She asked as she still continued walking into the unknown abyss. What few moments passed felt like an eternity, where the trail she was on would never end and she would die from whatever infested her body. Step by step, she moaned and dragged along, almost zombie-like as she moved. A few minutes passed, and she started to hear something that shattered her soul. It was a banshee scream, loud, piercing, full of emotions, it brought her to her knees again as she put her hands over her ears. She tried to close her eyes, but she couldn't as if something took over her body to force her to watch what laid out in front of her. She looked up and found herself in what seemed to be a distortedly combined mixture of her old hometown in Shibuya and where she lives in Kyoto.

The buildings were smashed, windows open, and fires erupted inside. The screaming became worse, every moment she stayed there helpless, the louder the screams came. The girl finally looked down and saw the mangled corpses of what appeared to people. They all had their eyes and mouths open as if they were screaming in pain and suddenly froze as death took them. As she looked around, more people came running in her direction. Attempting to defend herself, she braced for the worse and threw her arms up in front of her. They were screaming at the top of their lungs, the looks of feral beasts with fires of intensity in their eyes. If she didn't know what hell was like, this clearly had to be it right? As she took one last look at the sky, she saw a devilish figure arise from the sky, and plunge down unto the earth. With its giant's hand, it pointed down directly at her. A crippling fear struck at the girl as she had screamed in a way she never had done before...

At last, the girl awoke from her frightening ordeal, nearly screaming as she arose in grossly uncomfortable cold sweat. The feelings grew increasingly uncomfortable as she got up and realized her pajamas and the bedsheets were heavily drenched. Quickly, she brushed away her blanket and curdled herself up into a ball. In an exceptionally rare occurrence, the girl found herself unusually at unease. The realization that an unimaginable terror had struck her. Looking to her side, she noticed Mayuri had not been awoken, who was sleeping on the futon across from her.

"Everything in that dream felt…. It felt real." She thought to herself. Quickly, she went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face, hoping to calm herself down. Feeling the pieces of drenched clothing she was wearing, she decided to strip some off and let them dry. Having finally recollected herself, she went downstairs, hoping not to disturb anyone in the house.

"Please, no one be awake…" whispering to herself. Not wanting to wake anyone up, she did her best to move quietly through the apartment. Waking up her niece and cousin, after all, they had done for her would be considered rude. A voice in the kitchen made itself apparent.

"Yumeko? Is that you?" Aika was leaning on the kitchen countertop as she spotted Yumeko and put her phone away.

"Damn it." She quickly waved and smiled at her older cousin.

"I-I'm just coming down to get some warm milk, I slept a lot on the way here so it's hard for me to sleep." Yumeko said at an oddly intense pace. Gliding across the floor, she went ahead and poured herself a small glass of milk from the fridge and then heated it in the microwave for 2 minutes. There was an awkward moment in the room as the microwave was humming, warming her milk. The two of them hadn't talked much after dinner, not that there was any bad blood between them, neither had anything noteworthy to bring up. Yumeko reached into her pocket to grab her phone and had her headphones ready to be used. Looking at her phone, she realized it was three in the morning. As she was about to put on her headphones, Aika asked her a question.

"Are you okay Yumeko? You seem kind of pale." Asked Aika in concern. Yumeko looked at her, midway as she put on her headphones. Quickly she replied, hoping that she wouldn't ask any further.

"Y-yeah I'm okay. I'm still getting used to the weather here. Plus Mayuri nearly scared me as she couldn't sleep either. I just need some warm milk and I should be good to go for tomorrow." The milk had only been heating for the past minute. Aika looked at her for a few moments before responding.

"Well alright then. I hope you get some sleep soon, you and Mayuri will have to take the train to Masayume Academy, I have to drop Junko and Hayato to school, so I can't do double trips." She said as she sipped her tea. Yumeko nodded. Why was Aika up this late as well? Wanting to lighten up the atmosphere, Yumeko figured to ask why her cousin was up so late, even if she was resistant, it would certainly help pass the extra minute left for the milk to heat up.

"Aika Nee-San, if you don't mind me asking, why are you awake around this time as well?" Biting her tongue as she asked the question. Aika looked back at her and smiled.

"Oh, nothing really. I guess I'm the same as you, I can't seem to sleep either. Probably because of the kids, they may wear me out some days, but other times, such as right now, I'm pretty energetic." She said cheerfully. The beeper was about to go off, but to prevent waking up the kids, Yumeko took the milk out before it rang in the house. Carefully stirring it a bit, she asked if there was any honey she could use. Aika agreed, and the two conversed for a while until Yumeko finished her milk. They looked at the time, it was almost three thirty.

"Ah, look at the time. You really need to get some sleep Yumeko. Here give me your cup, I'll wash it. Go ahead and head back upstairs and try to get some rest okay? I don't want to be the one responsible for you sleeping in on your first day of class." She said jokingly.

"Oh, before I forget, I have your uniform for school already. Your parents gave me the exact measurements for you and gave me the money to pay for it. It's in your closet okay?" Yumeko smiled and nodded, she couldn't help but retort,

"I saw it. Could've told me earlier during dinner though. I could've missed it, but thanks again. Good night." stating as she went back upstairs to get some rest, hoping to have a good dream this time, and not one of the nightmares she had before.

The morning sun had risen, the light coming in bright and powerful from her window.

Yumeko slowly opened her lazy eyes as the sun shined right into her emerald colored iris. Yawning subtly, she stretched and got up before Mayuri had even decided to. A strange nightmare like that would make it hard for anyone to want to go back to sleep. It was unusual for her, she would usually sleep as much as she could, but she had the jitters of being the new girl at a school. Considering it was her first and final year there, she had every right to be nervous. A lot of thoughts were running in her mind.

"Will people like me there? Will I get along with anyone? Is it just going to be me and Mayuri? I don't want to hold her back from being with friends that she undoubtedly made while I was in Shibuya. Will I even be proud to be graduating with this class? I doubt it. I hope Mayuri will make an exception for me, we've been friends for a long time, yet I have a strange feeling that she might forget about me as soon as we start school. I hope that isn't the case…"

These thoughts were quickly shelved as she got herself ready while Mayuri was still asleep. The time was 6:30 in the morning. Yumeko found her new uniform in her closet, it noticeably caught her eye. The top appeared to be a black jacket worn over a white collared shirt. The bottom was a preppy looking green and white skirt patterned in plaid. It was certainly cute, though had it not been for the presence of the skirt, it would be seen as an otherwise bland looking girl's blazer. Quickly putting it on, she also remembered to adjust the little ribbon tied around the collar. Slipping on her thigh high socks, it completed her outfit. Fifteen minutes later, Mayuri had finally woken up, much to the surprise that Yumeko was already dressed and ready to go. Quickly she jolted up and ran to the bathroom and changed, put on her makeup and burst out the door as she was finishing curling her hair. Yumeko just stared at her in awe.

"What time is it?!"

Mayuri said as she adjusted her little bow on the top of her chest. Breathing a bit fast, but was mostly ready to go. Yumeko could've sworn, Mayuri was the fastest woman ever to put on her makeup and adjusted her clothing in less than an hour. Yumeko pointed at the clock that hung above the room where they slept. The time was only 6:45. Mayuri fell flat back on to her futon and curled into a ball.

"Yumeko…. Class doesn't start until 8:30 today." She said keeping her head in a curled position, holding her pillow

"And the train doesn't depart for Masayume until 8:00… And it's right outside the house…. You're usually asleep longer than me! I always had to be the one to call YOU in the morning for school!" She said with a small hint of frustration while waving her hands in the air.

"That's true. You're like my personal alarm clock Mayuri."

Yumeko said blankly as she saw her friend's bright brown eyes. Mayuri stuck her tongue out and fell back to sleep almost immediately, with her school uniform still on. Yumeko smiled a bit and went downstairs to see if anyone was up at this time. The faint sounds of Aika's morning routine were heard from within her room nearby, blow dryer blasting in full action. Yumeko was in the kitchen ahead of everyone else, poured herself a bowl of cereal and ate as she waited for Mayuri and the rest of her family to get ready.

The time flew by, the two of them boarded the train to Masayume Academy, the place where they will spend the final year of High School. The two of them entered the school courtyard as the cherry blossoms flew helplessly in the air. Mayuri showed Yumeko quickly around the school.

"And that's where the Sports clubs meet! I'll be there a lot more now that I'm going full Cheerleader."

Yumeko looked at her and smiled that she was enthusiastic about her cheerleading life. She also saw something a little bit outside of the school. It was an old, abandoned building that looks like it was lost to time.

"What's that building?"

Mayuri looked at where she was pointing and sighed.

"It was part of the original campus a long time ago. But some bad things happened in there and no one ever goes near the place anymore. Ghosts or whatever."

She shrugged her shoulders and she went on with the rest of the tour, which eventually ended as they entered the faculty office. As Mayuri opened the door, Yumeko was greeted by her homeroom teacher. He was a good-looking man, probably in his late 20's or early 30's, he had a stubble on his sculpted chin and he had nice kept hair. Sporting a Dark Blue suit, he smelled of some sweet lilac scent. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the girls enter the room. The man greeted Mayuri a good morning and shook her hand while looking at the other girl next to her.

"Ah, so this is the girl you've been talking about Mayuri?" the teacher said as he shook Yumeko's hand as well. Mayuri nodded while standing there full of glee.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Daisuke Ryo, you can call me Ryo-sensei. I'll be your homeroom teacher for this year, so I hope you're okay with that." He said in a kind tone.

"I don't mind." Yumeko replied

"Good. Now, tell me, what was your name again?" "Yumeko Kanashii." She said in her blank tone.

"Got it." He quickly scribbled down her name on his roster sheet.

"Okay, now that we have that settled, I've already got you assigned to my class. Class 3-B. Well, now girls it's almost time. If you would come this way, I will lead us to our homeroom. Come now!" Ryo-sensei lead them upstairs to the third floor. Classroom 3-B was the third and fourth doors to the west side of the hallway from the staircase. As the clock struck near 8:30, all the students readied themselves at their respective desks including Mayuri, who had conveniently got an empty desk next to her in the middle of the second to the last row near the back.

"Welcome back everyone. I know you're all excited to finally kick this year off, but first, we have a new transfer student that will be joining you all for this final year." He turned to Yumeko.

"Please, introduce yourself." Yumeko walked forward.

"My name's Yumeko Kanashii. A pleasure." She said blankly to the class. There were some whispers already as she introduced herself. She could only make out a few words that her classmates were saying.

"Wow. She's kinda cute." "Nice! We got another girl!"

"Ugh great, another new person."

"Isn't that the girl Mayuri was talking about to you?"

As the class started to whisper, a young man was completely silent as the introductions began. Resting his head on his offhand, he looked as if he were making mental notes to himself.

The young man's face was the definition of pessimism. Yumeko scanned the room and was unfortunate enough to lock eyes with him. She started to walk to her seat next to Mayuri, hoping to avoid any more instances with him. The boy averted his bored eyes away from her, with a sense of isolation. Thinking nothing of it, Yumeko sat down next to Mayuri, and the school day flew by.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapt** **e** **r** **4:** **Restless** **(Afternoon** **of** **T** **uesda** **y** **,** **April** **3rd,** **2018)**

As the school day winded down, Yumeko was organizing her new books and accessories on her desk, when suddenly, a small group of girls walked up to her, and nearly flanked her from all sides. Taking a good look at her surroundings, Yumeko put her hand in her pocket and leaned back on the chair as the girls surrounded her like a vulture surrounds its meal. The rest of the class had already left, save a few stragglers. She didn't have Mayuri by her side this time, but she could take care of herself. The first move was hers.

"Is there anything you need from me? Because if not, I'd like to go home."

Yumeko said in a calm voice. Keeping her right hand tightened and ready to strike, she used her left hand to tap on the desk, hoping to lessen the tension. A girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes approached her from the front and spoke.

"Oh, nothing. We just wanted to see who the new girl was." She put her hand on the desk.

Leaning forward a bit more, she seemed to examine Yumeko a bit more. Feeling the tension rising with her stare, she was ready to talk it out and hopefully get away from her. Before she could speak, she extended her hand to her.

"I'm Kumiko Hana. Student Council President. Nice to meet you."

Yumeko just stared blankly at her hand. As if it was a foreign object and she was afraid to touch it. The other girls around her looked at her with awkward stares as she didn't return the handshake back yet. Eventually giving in, she shook her hand, and there was no tight tugs or squeeze from her.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here at Masayume High. I'll do my best to help all my fellow students. Including you." She took a small bow and left the room.

"What…. Was that?" Yumeko asked herself as she picked up her bag.

She walked out the door and into the hallway, finding Mayuri. Mayuri greeted her as usual and the two of them walked outside to the school gates. As they passed the numerous amount of students surrounding the school courtyard, a young girl passed by the two of them, like she was late to a meeting. The young girl had dark gray hair, she had styled her hair in a braid, and had red eyes. She looked at the two of them quickly and apologized for nearly running into them. She took a small bow and ran off.

"Geez, I wonder what's with that girl," Mayuri said scratching her head and adjusting her backpack. Yumeko nodded and they moved on to the school gates. The two of them walked to the nearby mall, as Mayuri insisted on showing her around the area so she could get used to being here. The mall was gorgeous, it overlooked an artificial man-made lake and was nearly 4 stories high with a rooftop that was also a hangout spot, outfitted with vendors and couches. The two friends decided to skip most of the shops, only going to the 3rd story to grab some takoyaki and ramen to eat on the rooftop. They faced the man-made lake and enjoyed each other's company.

"So, what do you think of the mall huh? Pretty fancy?" Mayuri asked as she poked at her takoyaki. The scent of the octopus was strong, but Yumeko knew she didn't mind at all.

"I like it a lot. It's pretty. I'm glad it doesn't get too hot up here." Yumeko replied cheerfully as she let her ramen sit for a minute.

"Right? I used to go up here a lot before, but I always got so caught up in Cheer Practice that I could barely hang out often after school to just relax y'know?" Mayuri looked a bit down as she looked at the lake. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"Oh, I know! Why don't you join a club after school? We've got a lot of options you know. We should get you a physical activity club and a more artistic club. You do need to work out a bit, I can see your face getting a little bit more round already!" Mayuri teased.

Yumeko became flustered a bit and began to eat her ramen instead. Mayuri pulled out a piece of paper from her bag, it listed the available clubs after school. She started to mark up certain activities that could fit Yumeko.

"I can totally see you being a part of the tennis club! Ooh or even the Volleyball team! Just don't injure yourself too much though, I know you can be a bit frail." Taking another jab at her friend. She made off all the clubs that she knows Yumeko wouldn't want to join. After doing so, she started to show her the more artistic clubs.

"Drama, or the sleeping club?" And before Mayuri could say another word, Yumeko put her ramen bowl down quickly and replied

"Sleeping club. Please." Her mouth still had some ramen in it when she said it. Mayuri shook her head and laughing at the spectacle that was Yumeko.

"You dork! There is no sleeping club! Why would you take that seriously?!" She said chuckling at her. Yumeko looked a bit down and said

"Ugh. What else is there?" Pouting a bit.

"Well, before I was so rudely interrupted, there is the music club. I know you used to play the piano, so I thought you'd like to join it? I mean I can't do music for the life of me. I tried playing the flute before because I watched these Chinese shows right? So-" Yumeko started to doze off as Mayuri began her long explanation about flutes. As Mayuri continued, she noticed that Yumeko was starting to fall asleep. She stopped herself and blushed a bit for going on about her story and refocused herself.

"So, I totally want to know what you'd join, I crossed off all the other ones since I know for a fact you wouldn't want to join cheer. Or Football. Or Swimming. Geez, I can't imagine you swimming. You burn easy." Yumeko looked down at the paper and sighed. In one deft stroke, she crossed off the "to be determined" options under both the sport and cultural club options. As she crossed them off Mayuri looked down and laughed again.

"Oh? What's so funny now?" Yumeko asked, starting to get a bit lost as to why she keeps laughing at her.

"Nothing! I just totally imagined you choosing tennis! You'd totally miss the ball!" Mayuri started to forget she had another pair of takoyaki as she started to laugh out of control. Yumeko sighed again and laughed at the prospect of seeing her doing any of these activities. The two friends laughed it up and enjoyed their company together.

The two of them enjoyed their food and watched as the sun started to set over the sparkling lake. They listened to whatever soundtrack they had on their phones, playing it out loud, regardless if anyone hears it. As much as they wanted to be in each other's company more, they realized it was getting late. The clock ticked away, and they decided it was time to head home. They walked each other to their respective train's, and Mayuri looked at her friend and joyfully remarked,

"Guess I'll be heading back to my place now! Thanks for the sleepover last night. See you tomorrow!" The two of them hugged and went their separate ways.

As the evening winded down, Yumeko returns to her home to rest. As she enters, she finally sees someone she hasn't met yet. Her nephew, Hayato. As she sees him, she notices that he doesn't react. He just looks at her and goes back to watching the TV. Junko is also there, her face sullen. But as she turns to look at Yumeko, it flips a switch in her. Junko runs up to her aunt and hugs her again. She can feel that she's pouring out all of her love into the hug, like a desperate cry to her. Junko holds her hand and asks,

"Hey Auntie, can we go out and eat somewhere? Momma isn't going to be home for a few more hours… And I'm really hungry." She gives her the most adorable puppy eyes ever. Yumeko couldn't help but smile, just to try and reassure her little niece. Dropping down on her knees, she looks Junko straight in her eyes and asks,

"Of course Junko. Where do you want to go?"

"Can we go to the bento box across the street? I really want some sushi…" Junko brushes her arm and looks down. A little tear comes from her eye. Yumeko can't tell if she's embarrassed, scared, or just shy to ask her. She quickly replies.

"You got it. Now come on, let's wipe those tears away okay? A princess shouldn't be crying." Yumeko gently wiped away her tears and gave her a hug.

"Go and get dressed, I'll be waiting here."

Junko was holding Yumeko's hand the entire walk to the restaurant across the street. The two of them looked like a pair of sisters enjoying their time together, even though their hair color and styles differ from each other. As they walked, Junko started to talk about her day, how her school was, and how she felt happy being with Yumeko. Yumeko herself still couldn't understand what was going on between Junko and Hayato. Why did the two of them act like complete strangers? Why does Junko become extremely depressed around Hayato but not around her? She resolves herself to find about this relationship between Junko and her brother because she can't stand to see her sad.

As the darkness fell over Kyoto, and the sun takes a rest, Yumeko slips into her bed and begins to do the activity she loves the most, sleeping. Taking a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes and drifted off. A calm, cool breeze brushed her as she slept. There was also a small ticklish sensation as if tiny hands were touching her. Wanting to know what was causing her to feel this way, she opened her eyes and found herself covered in a bed of flowers and roses. Slowly waking from her slumber, she looked around and found herself in a place that looked like heavenly otherworldly to her. Images of classical fairy tales, fantasy worlds, and wonders came to mind as she considered the sight in front of her. Looking up, she found what appeared to look like another planet, surrounded with rings no different from Saturn's, against the backdrop of a pale blue sky in the background with countless numbers of shooting stars moving through.

Getting on to her feet, she took her own tour of the fantastical new place she arrived in. There was a sweet, sensational scent moving through the air. Having lived in a city for almost all her life, she realized that the smell had to be fresh, clean air. Nothing like the polluted city that she had grown accustomed to, for indeed she could tell it was a smell she had to be dreaming of. As she walked forward in the meadow, she stretched her arms outward to her sides and felt the brushing of the foliage across her hands. Looking back, realizing how much progress was made, it astonished her that the entire garden was like a living breathing thing. The trees, the flowers, the hanging fruits that tasted just as fresh and powerful, she couldn't help herself to keep smiling throughout the whole entire waltz. Nearing the end of her lovely journey, she found herself at what looked to be, the end of the garden, where there is some sand, and a vast body of water that spans for as far as she could see. Only realizing now she was barefoot, she walked over to the water that gently brushed her feet against the calm, undisturbed water. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and slowly opened them again to see up into the sky, the same beautiful canvas of planets and stars.

However, something felt quite off for her. Something was missing deep inside her that was preventing her from fully enjoying the experience she was having. Looking around, she found no one but herself, all alone on this magical land. Feeling a bit concerned, she rose from her relaxed position at the beachhead and decided to walk around, hoping to find someone.

What felt like an eternity, and three roundabouts around the same land, she could not find a single trace of anyone. Not her parents, not her friends, no one. Just her. Sweat started to drip down her cheek, she couldn't be the only one there. She called out in desperation.

"Hello!? Anyone here? Mom? Dad? Mayuri?... Anybody?"

She started to panic and felt that she needed to leave. Everywhere she turned, all she could see was the same exact surroundings that she had been through time and time again.

Feeling a sense of danger and claustrophobia, she had realized she was dreaming. There was no mistake about it, everything around her feels real, but she could start to see through the fake and now, will do her best to get out of this dream. Turning back, knowing that running around the island would be fruitless, she decided to jump into the vast ocean and hopefully, it will help her wake up from this hyper-realistic trip. Sprinting with all her power, she dived into the ocean, only to be uplifted off the ground. Stunned, she tried to move her muscles but she felt frozen, paralyzed. She had zero control of her body, and soon enough, she was hurled towards the planet with the rings like Saturn. Putting her arms up bracing herself, she screamed as she rapidly approached the planet.

"Auntie? Hey, Auntie wake up." She heard an unfamiliar voice this time. It wasn't Aika's, nor Mayuri or Junko's that's for sure. No, it sounded more, masculine than theirs.

Opening her eyes, she found herself face to face with Hayato, the reclusive brother to Junko. He was standing next to Yumeko as she laid in her bed.

"Hayato? What're you doing here?"

"I wasn't feeling good so Mother said I could stay home today until I feel better." Hayato looked toward the clock in Mayuri's room.

"I also came here to try and wake you up. Mother and Sister had to leave so they couldn't help, and I heard your phone going off but you didn't wake up."

Afraid to look, but needing to know the truth anyways, the time was now 12:00 PM. Seeing this revelation, she quickly jolted out of her bed, surprising Hayato, and she ran to the bathroom, uniform and makeup in hand. Within ten minutes, she was already changed and running out of the house and to the train station across the street. Looking at her phone, she noticed a barrage of text messages from Mayuri, with the general gist of them being,

"Where are you? You can't be late on your 2nd day of class! Come on wake up sleepy

head!"

Boarding and exiting the train in record time, she arrived to Masayume Academy at 12:30 PM. The gate was closed, but she saw her homeroom teacher, Ryo-Sensei. Apparently it looked like he was walking across the campus, to get some fresh air perhaps. Sensei noticed his student blitzing down the street. Waving at him from the other side of the gate, she yelled out.

"Ryo-Sensei! It's me Yumeko!" A look of confusion and worry was riddled all over his face. Marching over to the gate, he looked at her and said,

"Yumeko? What're you doing here so late? This is only the second day of school and already you're this late?" He said in a tough scolding manner. Taking a deep breath and scratching his neck, he crossed his arms and reached into his pocket and grabbed his keys.

"Listen. Since you're the new girl, I'll go easy and let you off the hook this one time." He said as he flipped through which key he needed to unlock the gate.

"But you have to promise me, no more late arrivals until the end of the year, unless there is a legitimate excuse, is that understood?" The key was inserted into the slot and he offered his hand. Yumeko looked down, apologized and shook his hand saying,

"Yes sir. I'm really sorry for running late, I guess I'm still getting used to Kyoto an-" Before finishing, she was cut off.

"Come on, no excuses. Just pretend this didn't happen and abide by the rules I laid out okay? Now come on in, lunch is just about to start and you should check in with your other teachers to make sure you catch up on what you missed." He unlocked the gate, and he walked her into the school.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapt** **e** **r** **5:** **Into** **the** **V** **erse** **(Afternoon** **of** **W** **ednesda** **y** **,** **April** **4th,** **2018)**

After running late to her classes, Yumeko decided to visit the after school clubs Mayuri mentioned. Knowing her blunder this morning, she decided to make up for lost time and join an after-school club. Mayuri was furious at her, but not in the sense that she was angry and wanted nothing more to smack her across the head. But the type of anger that comes from being protective. She could tell Mayuri only wanted to make sure she was okay.

"I feel so terrible for sleeping in. Aika nee-san lets me live in her home and this is how I repay her? I wake up late and nearly endanger my standing with the school. I need to manage myself better, no way I can let this happen again. If not for my sake, then Aika's."

While Mayuri was at Cheer practice, Yumeko decided that it is the perfect time to check the after school clubs. The first on her list was the music club. Being a piano player in the past, she decided to take a club that she didn't really need to try very hard in. As she walked to the Music room, her mind wandered off again.

"Why did I sleep for so long? I usually never oversleep like this. Yes, I'm down to the wire when I wake up, but it's never been this bad before." She clasped her hands together as she went down the hallway.

"That dream… It felt like when I met the man with the long nose… Igor was it? The dream felt too real like I left my body and was moved there. That's impossible, even for a crazy sleeper like me, I could never sleep so much as to imagine myself on some distant garden, all alone with no one there." Biting her lip and fixing her hair, she decided to think about something else, otherwise, she'd be getting stressed over nothing.

As she arrived at the music room, she noticed the same apathetic dead-fish eyed glare that was the boy she made eye contact with when she introduced herself in Ryo's classroom. It was one of her classmates. Noticing her presence, he got up his seat closed book in hand and walked out of the room. Before Yumeko could ask what was wrong, he took one last glare at her and strolled out into the hallway with his hands pocketed.

"What's with that guy?" A girl nearby asked. She was talking to her classmate, just a few feet away from Yumeko.

"I don't know, but I heard he's been going pretty overboard lately. Rumor has it that he stays in the library way longer than most normal students need to. Even the librarian is getting kind of freaked out by him." She shrugged her shoulders and continued.

"Maybe it's the pressure of graduation or something, I mean he is a third year after all."

"Yeah, but didn't you recognize him?"

"No, not really. Why, do you know who it is?"

"Yeah, I do. That was Akio Kanataname, remember? The same guy who thought Utada was into him, but he totally freaked her out for being a weirdo? Something like that, I dunno."

"Yeesh, why would that freakshow assume Utada was into him? She bolted from him when he tried asking her out, apparently, the face he had on made him look like a total creepo, not to mention how unkempt he looks now, I think he just stopped caring about presentation y'know?"

The two girls conversed a little while, and Yumeko made sure to keep a mental note about him. The guy seemed pretty ordinary despite his looks, though admittedly that unapproachable and apathetic attitude makes him out to be way more the suspicious type than he probably is. Brushing her hair from her face, she continued forward into the music room.

The room itself was quite large, having one piano to the side, flanked by the other instruments, such as guitars, clarinets, trombones, and whatever else she could see. As she entered, she realized that the club hadn't started their practice yet, as everyone was either on their phone, eating a snack, or chatting away. Noticing someone at the door, the young man approached Yumeko and extended his hand to her.

"I see you're the new kid."

"Geez, does everyone know about me already?" His hand was still being held out, but Yumeko doesn't acknowledge it.

"Well, running nearly half the day late to class on the second day is certainly one way to get people's attention. I'm Takeo by the way. And you are?" He said in a charming tone, retracting his hand.

"Guess. Since my reputation precedes me as being the girl who's late, I assume you already know my name."

"Eh never hurt to ask. Nice to meet you Yumeko. And welcome to the Music Club, I hope you come and join us." Turning around, he grabbed the pamphlet on the desk and gave it to her.

"I hope I printed enough, but basically, it's an outline on what this club wants to achieve by the end of the year, and what we usually do around here."

As more people started to come in, Takeo decided to give a small tour of the music club's surroundings and what instruments they provided. Yumeko felt attracted to the club after seeing the piano, an old childhood instrument that she could no longer practice due to the lack of space in her old house. But she was eager to get behind the piano again and play. After filling out the form, she officially joined the Music Club, which met on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

As the evening rolled in, Yumeko decided to wait for Mayuri to get out of cheer practice so that the two of them could walk home together. Waiting outside the courtyard, she huddled her back against a cherry blossom tree, with a book in her hands, she felt an unusual calm as she sat there. Like she could just stay there and relax for as long as she liked and not have to worry about anything. As the cherry blossoms fell, she decided to pick one up as it lazily fell to the crease in her book. Taking it in her petite hand, she smelled the blossom and smiled as it reminded her of her grandparent's backyard, where there were so many of these trees in their garden that she would never tire of them. She put the blossom in her hair, and continued reading until Mayuri came out of the gymnasium, half an hour later.

"What happened?" Mayuri asked as they began their walk to the train station. Yumeko looked down sheepishly but replied nonetheless.

"I uh… Slept in."

"Well. It wouldn't be a Yumeko problem if it didn't involve sleeping." She said teasing her a bit. The two were nearing the train station already and Mayuri developed an idea.

"Listen, I'll head home and grab some of my things. I'll sleepover again tonight." "Why?"

"Uh, cuz you love being around me?"

Yumeko rolled her eyes.

"Awh. But seriously, I think I should sleepover tonight for a few reasons. One is so you don't repeat what you did today again. I'd hate to see you get kicked out because you can't wake up on time. And two, so I can catch you up on your notes that you missed in class….I-if that's okay with Aika-San of course. I'd hate to intrude and think I can just come in and out like that."

"It's okay Mayuri. Let me go call her right now and I'll let you know. But honestly?

There's a 99% chance you'll be able to sleepover tonight." "Oh? What's the 1% percent?"

"The 1% comes from if you and I make so much noise and annoy the kids that she kicks us both out."

The two of them laughed it up, and as evening rolled around, the two of them were already in their pajamas. Yumeko was wearing her grey sweatpants that had big bold lettering and the symbol of the school she attended back in Shibuya. She donned a Dark Green Hoodie as well. Mayuri was instead wearing the opposite of Yumeko, as she wore her shorts and tank top. The two friends always had different tolerances for temperature than the other, as Yumeko was sensitive to the cold while Mayuri was always sensitive to the heat. The two of them were exchanging notes while watching some drama anime on TV that was ongoing this current season.

"Geez, why is she falling for that guy? He's a total bum and lazy to boot. He already cheated on her twice, does she have Stockholm syndrome or something? It doesn't help that he looks like a wannabe pretty boy." Mayuri said as she sipped on her coffee. Yumeko giggled at her friend's remark and the two continued on into the night. As the two of them fell asleep, something happened that changed their lives forever.

The floor she was laying on felt like she was on a cloud, or maybe she was being held up by the wind. Specks of dust littered the floor, covered by a dark green mist surrounded her. She jolted forward as usual and found herself alone. No objects, no surroundings, nothing at all. Feeling sick to her stomach, she wondered if she was going to have the same nightmare she had a few days before. But something was off, she wasn't feeling the immense pressure, the heat, the pain, and everything associated with it. Neither did she feel joy, happiness or elation either, like the dream she had the night before No, here she felt a sense of moderation. Neither one overpowering the other. Looking down at her feet, she noticed a small trail, that was illuminated by what looked to be a gold color. She was in her school uniform, and she wondered how she was even changed into it in time. She decided her best option was to just follow the trail, and hope nothing bad comes of it.

For what felt like an eternity of walking, Yumeko had finally spotted a glimmer of hope, in a land inhospitable to anyone or anything. Looking over the gate, she found a city center! Or something akin to one, so she thought. Using whatever energy she had left, she made a break for the city, hoping to find a way out of this nightmare, or hoping Mayuri wakes her up. As she entered the city, she felt an eerie unease around her, like she was being followed the moment she stepped foot in there. She spun around and took in her surroundings, and was in shock of just how much it looked like Kyoto. Except, the streets were curving up and down buildings, and looked like they curved down into some four-dimensional space that she couldn't wrap her head around. Slowly approaching the road, she suddenly heard a scream. It sounded like…

"YUMEKO!" Crap. Yumeko turned and found Mayuri running towards her, and she was in a panic. Sweat running down her face, she hugged her friend and asked,

"Mayuri, what's going on?"

"I have no idea! I just woke up and suddenly I found myself in this creepy city!

Then I suddenly saw like this weird apparition following me. It looked like some of those creepy fox demons we hear about in ghost stories excep-" A window shattered near them. Mayuri hid behind Yumeko and pointed forward.

"There! That's the thing chasing me!" Yumeko readied herself for what was to come in a way she thought was best appropriate, and as soon as the apparition stepped forward and out of the shadows, it gave a small squeal.

"Hello there." The figure said. A little orange fox appeared before them, dispelling the intimidating apparition. Confused, Yumeko looked at Mayuri with an expression of disbelief.

"... You got scared of this little guy?"

"Hey! It was a big and scary monster last time I saw it." The little fox approached them. Yumeko held out her hand to pet it, and it nudged against her hand.

"See. Nothing to be scared about." Yumeko said as the fox enjoyed her touch. "Well. Yeah I guess, except the fact you know…. IT CAN TALK!" Mayuri said in complete surprise. It slipped Yumeko's mind that the fox did in indeed talk to her. "Yes. I can talk. In fact, I have been able to speak clearly for as long as I can remember." The fox circled around Yumeko's left leg.

"My name is Nishiki, and I've been following the lady with the red hair around. I thought someone was snooping on my home, so I decided to examine where the noises were coming from." The fox pointed its tiny nose up to Mayuri, and she blushed.

"Wait what were the noises?"

"I seem to recall hearing very shrill cries of panic on top of shouting the word Yumeko repeatedly."

"S-shut up you little fox!... I was scared okay! We're in a place where the roads go into the sky, the buildings contort, and honestly?! I just want to go back home." Mayuri said blushing as red as her scarlet hair. She brushed her hair and fidgeted, a quirk she developed whenever she became nervous. Yumeko took her hand and looked in the eye.

"I'm sure we'll find a way out of here. Let's just calm down." Yumeko said, doing her best to comfort her friend. Mayuri took a deep breath and sighed. The fox circled around Yumeko's knee and looked up at her.

"Miss, are you the one she calls Yumeko?" The fox asked kindly.

"Yes I am. The shrill one here outside your home is named Mayuri. She's my best friend."

"Ah, I see. I wonder, why are you here in my home in the first place? I don't get many visitors, only the shadows that inhabit other's dreams bother me, but I usually flee before they could harm me." He took a quick scan around to make sure that there were no shadows around.

"Well we don't even know how we got here. Or what here even is…" Yumeko scratched her head as she tried to figure out what kind of place this is.

"I understand. Hrm. I think I may know of a way out of this place, but you need to stick close to me. Where we are going is outside of the city, so take caution." Nishiki started to scurry for the nearest exit out of the distorted city. The duo looked at each other

"S-should we really trust a talking fox?"

"Well, at least the talking fox probably knows more about this place than we do. Come on, we're going to lose him if we don't hurry."

A few minutes passed as they traversed the city of broken streets and buildings, and they seemed to reach what looked to be a gate, that boxed them in. Nishiki ran up to the gate and sniffed it, and jumped with joy.

"This is the way to the exit. Once we leave the city, the exit shouldn't be far."

"How do you know all of this? We couldn't find the exit, or even tell where to go, but you seem to have a good handle of this place." Mayuri remarked as they finally caught up to the fox.

"To be honest… I have no idea. It's like instinct for me. My sense of smell and vision seems to detect if anything from the outside is nearby. And I can sense an abnormal pulse not too far from here, which I can only assume is the exit. Now come, befor-."

The fox couldn't finish his sentence when suddenly, a monster appeared behind him and smacked him across the street from Yumeko and Mayuri. They looked over to the fox and looked on with horror, hoping it was alright and what their fate would be. Mayuri held Yumeko's hand and looked at her.

"If this is the end, I just want you to know. You're the bestest friend any girl could ever ask for."

Mayuri said looking her dead in the eyes. As those words rang into Yumeko's heart, she felt a surreal power and presence emitting from deep inside her. She couldn't explain what she felt, but suddenly, a voice in her head spoke out to her. It faintly sounded much like her own voice, but with a hint of authority, she'd normally not associate herself with.

"What's wrong? Can't seem to move? Your legs shake as you stand there indecisive. How much longer can you and your friend stand there until those things get you? This isn't a problem you can sleep off until it fixes itself. A fate worse than death awaits the both of you if you continue to stand there and do nothing. Continue to cower and be consumed by your own fear if you wish, or fulfill your duty as one who was chosen." The voice said. Yumeko contemplated for a few moments and responded ferociously within her head.

"No… No I won't let my fear overtake me. Whether I like it or not, this is reality. Mayuri and I… We've always protected each other, come what may, I won't let either of us die here in this twisted place! We'll overcome this nightmare together!"

The voice chuckled.

"Well said. Very well…. I have heeded your resolve. Say it! The power to vanquish those who dare cause harm or misfortune to you or others you hold dear shall be yours. The power to maintain the stability of life you strive toward. All you need now… is to invoke my name." The two voices merged as they spoke solemn words, that represented their newly formed pact. The voice sounded ghostly, but also a hint of reverence surrounded it.

" **I am thou. Thou art I. Thou who art determined to see through life's illusions.** **Prove** **that** **thou** **possesses** **the** **strength** **to** **ascertain** **moderation** **for** **thine's** **dreams** **and** **nightmares** **to** **achieve** **stability!** **Open** **thine** **eyes** **and** **bring** **forth** **balance** **to** **that** **which** **is** **unhinged!** "

Yumeko snapped out of her trance, and suddenly, what looked like a blank tarot card flew out of her chest and floated in front of her. As it shined brightly in front of her and the others, she slowly reached out and grabbed it with her left hand. Staring intently at the palm of her hand, the tarot card glowed fiercely bright white light.

" **Per…so...NA!** "

She instinctively whispered that word and clenched her palm into a fist, smashing the tarot card into what appeared to be bits and pieces of strange matter. In a flash of light, all of the twisted monsters that surrounded them were stunned and blinded by the raw power being emanating from Yumeko. A magnificently powerful but beautiful creature appeared hovering above the two girls. It covered Yumeko in blue flame and light, and as she freed herself from the engulfing flash, she arose in simple grandeur. With grim determination, she stared down at the monsters before her as a sizeable staff with a sword attached at the end, materializing in her hands. It was a gift from her newly acquired persona, as well as the imparted knowledge to handle the weapon. She felt power and energy, a wild kinetic force course through her body as she held her new weapon, however, it was combated with her feelings of both anxiousness and nervousness as she stood back up to face her enemies.

Her ethereal creature appeared to gently touch Yumeko's hair and brushed it with a single stroke of her arm. Quickly, she assumed a battle position. The being was shrouded in a blue aura while donning a light green robed dress, her long legs exposed with her feet covered by light white socks and sandals. The face covered by a transparent mask with its golden hair flowing behind its head. Putting her arms in a crossed position, with her right hand resting atop her left, Yumeko assumed an unfamiliar, yet natural stance. With a soft smile, she looked up above toward her newly obtained power and nodded.

" **I, am Aurora. I light the morning star and bring about a new dawn. I am the bringer of balance between sun and moon."**

Yumeko brushed her arm and smiled.

"Alright then. Let's go. Aurora!" Yumeko's tarot card appeared once again as she reached out her hand. Crushing the card with her hand, Aurora sent a powerful gust of wind and it knocked the twisted monsters off the ground and Yumeko with her new staffsword, did her best to keep her distance from the creatures.

"Alright. I just have to keep my distance and I can handle these monsters." Keeping Aurora by her side, the two of them kept their distance from the creatures, mowing them down with Aurora's impressive strength. The creatures struggled as they tried to push against the torrent of winds, only to get knocked down time and time again. One of the creatures managed to get close, however. Caught off guard, Yumeko was hit on her left side and knocked down to the ground. Before the monster could take another blow on her, she twisted her staff so that the sword jammed into the monster's chest, causing him to wail in pain and dissolve into dust. As Yumeko arose, she tapped her chest and her tarot card reappeared, crushing it once more. Aurora leaped far into the air and quickly descended and slammed her fist to the ground, sending a massive burst of powerful winds that scattered the remaining monsters.

Mayuri and Nishiki both slowly arose as Aurora looked down at her new wielder. She gave a smile, nodded, and disappeared once more. Mayuri ran up to her in disbelief of what she just saw, while Nishiki slowly pitter-pattered, limping as he made his way to them.

"What…. What was that?!" Mayuri asked as she looked at her friend with a mix of surprise and shock that colored her face. Yumeko shrugged, as she herself didn't understand what just occurred as well. The limping Nishiki slowly spoke, as he knew exactly what transpired.

"That… I believe was a persona. I myself have one as well, although as you can tell, I couldn't summon it in time to protect both of you. It was my mistake for letting my guard down…" He said looking at the ground saddened. Yumeko patted his head, but noticed the wound on his right side and gave a soft smile.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. Come on, I'll put you on my shoulder and you just point to me the way out of here, okay?" She quickly scooped him up and allowed him to rest on her shoulder. He was surprised by the act of kindness this total stranger had but was thankful nonetheless. He pointed his nose sharply towards the gate.

"That way… The gate should be over there now."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter** **6:** **Lament** **(Early** **Morning** **of** **Thursday,** **April** **5th,** **2018)**

The three of them walked closely together as they traversed the twisted streets of the strange city, hoping to reach the gate soon enough. Mayuri stuck close to her friend, as she knows she's the only defense they have from whatever creature comes out to attack them. The fox kept his senses keen, he didn't want to be caught off guard once more and he certainly doesn't want to be in an even more grave position than what he is in now. They finally reached the outskirts of the city and noticed there were no roads, and no easy way to reach the gate, what they see, is an endless desert. The desert itself was shrouded by the ever consumed mist of the world they were in, reducing their vision even more. The fox's ears rose up for a bit and began to speak.

"I know it seems… Impossible to pass… But I assure you, the exit is not much further." He said almost confident in his assessment. The two girls sighed, unsure if he was telling the truth, or he was trying to string them along for whatever reason. Mayuri spoke up to him.

"Are you sure you know the definition of 'not much further'? From what I can tell, this 'exit' might be another marathon of walking, and we might not actually leave!" A hint of annoyance came from her voice as she continued to chastise the fox.

"P-please, just trust me for a little bit more, we're so close to the gate, the pulse is getting stronger and I know it isn't much further."

"Mayuri, let's just give him a chance. If we don't reach the gate in 5…." She looked down at her watch and noticed that the watch was spinning out of control. The hands constantly whirring around, neverending. She sighed and restarted.

"Alright, if we don't reach the gate in ample time, we head back and find out own way out of here, with or without his help." She said, giving him an ultimatum. He obediently nodded, and the three of them began walking into the desert. Mayuri shook her head but decided to follow along anyway.

The trio walked through the harsh desert, their shoes starting to fill with sand, and their faces being bitten by the rough micro debris that tore at them. Yumeko put on her most stoic face, but even she was having trouble braving the seemingly endless sea of sand. Mayuri trudged along slowly as well, still regretting following the ridiculous plan and wished to just head back and look for their own exit. The fox started to lose his scent and even his own faith in his own tracking system. He looked down in disappointment as he hid on Yumeko's shoulder. The trio suddenly stopped in their tracks. Yumeko grabbed the little fox by his tail and put him front and center.

"We've been through this place enough. We should've seen the gate by now, and yet here we are. Still stuck in the sand. Now, unless you have a better plan, we're going to head back and find our own exit out of here." She dropped the fox on the sand and started to turn and walk away. The little fox yipped, calling out her name, begging not to be left alone in the harsh sandstorm.

"Please! Miss Yumeko, the exit is not far fro-" Mayuri snapped her finger at him with a quick 180 turn.

"Zip it! We've heard that too many times already, and we can't keep following your directions. We're going to blaze our own path out of here." Mayuri resolved herself and followed closely to her friend as they began to retrace their steps. As they reached over the sand dune, however, they could not see the city they had traversed only moments ago.

"W-what the hell. Where is the city!? We couldn't have walked that far to have left it that quickly!"

Yumeko scratched her forehead. "It could…. It could be that we did indeed walk that far."

The two of them looked at each other with worry. Had they gone and taken the wrong turn? Had the sandstorm consumed the city as well? All these questions bumbled in their head as the little fox came up behind them again.

"I… I'm sorry to intrude again, but I can't sense the city anymore, at least not in this storm…." He looked down nibbling at his paw.

"..." They were all silent as they were starting to lose their hearing from the sandstorm. Just as they were about to give up on hope, they saw a bright flash of green light to the east of their position. It flared into the sky with a brightness like that of the north star. The three made quick glances at each other as they began a mad dash to the star, in hopes of finding the exit.

The neverending series of steep sand dunes continued to make traversal needlessly exhausting. Their legs began to ache and stretch in pain from all the constant climbing they had to go through. As they approached to what seemed to be the last steep surface before reaching flat ground, they saw a silver door! They could almost cry in happiness, as they skidded down the sand dune and ran to the entrance of the door. The little fox's nose started to fidget wildly again, and he spoke

"That's it! That's the gate! Come, I shall open it so that the two of you may escape!" He said as he sprinted past them. Using his jumping advantage, he reached for the handle of the door and open what seemed to be a picture of their room where they were sleeping. The two friends stopped and looked at the little fox as he held open the door. Mayuri's face looked sullen as she started to regret what she did.

"I'm sorry about snapping at you little fox, you defended me against those monsters and helped us find the way out of here, even after we treated you badly." She patted his head.

Smiling, it uttered a few words.

"Thank you. Apology accepted. I hope I get to see you two again someday. Also please, just refer to me by name. Nishiki is fine by me." He said as he took his little bow, and left. The two friends bursted through the door, and suddenly, they both whiplashed forward and woke up in their beds. Yumeko looked down and felt her hands, she didn't feel tired at all, even though just moments ago her body ached and moaned for a rest. They looked at each other and noticed nothing changed from their time in that strange world, except the time of day. It was already 6 in the morning.

"What the hell was that?!" Mayuri exclaimed as she rolled out of bed. Her thud almost woke up the two kids downstairs.

"Yeesh calm down Mayuri."

"I-I… Sorry." She slowly got back up on her bed and took a breath. "What do you think happened? Like…. What made us go into that place?"

"I don't know…. But whatever the case, at least we won't have to worry about it. I think Nishiki, the little fox got us out of there and probably did something so we wouldn't stumble back in there."

"You think?"

"Positive." She looked up at the clock in the room. "Hey, we should get ready, school's starting soon."

We didn't talk much that day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter** **7:** **School** **Days** **(Early** **Morning** **of** **Friday,** **April** **6th,** **2018)**

Yumeko felt the softness of the bed she only has slept in once. Her eyes opened slowly as her body started to move and leave the comfortable, dreamlike abode. The door opened, and she saw the man with the long nose and his attendant.

"Welcome, to the Velvet Room. Do not be alarmed, you are simply sleeping in the real world. This has been quite the eventful week for you hasn't it?"

Igor said with a smile on his face. His attendant, the man named Gordon, was sitting down next to him, looking at Yumeko as well.

"This place is unique in that only certain individuals have been able to enter. Particularly those who have been signed within a contract. As such, you have to been able to awaken to your hidden power and even willingly chose to follow it."

"With that said, it is time you receive another gift…" As Igor said that, a flash of light appeared above Yumeko. Without much thought, she instinctively reached out and grabbed the floating object.

"Using that Velvet Key, you are an honorary guest of the Velvet Room and can now freely enter. The path ahead of you will consist of trials across opposite ends of a spectrum. We will do our best to help you in combating what awaits. Abide by the contract and take responsibility for your actions. Failing to do so will only lead to ruin, as has been done before in the past."

"Y-Yes. Of course." Yumeko replied.

"The power you acquired is called a Persona. Think of it as a mask that shows the true self to the outside world. A facade of sorts that you maintain to endure hardship. Your power, in particular, is special in that you possess the Wild Card. It is formless and empty, but within holds infinite potential for constant growth. Personas, in essence, is the ability to control your heart.

Bonds with others will strengthen that ability as your heart is expanded. Involve yourself in the lives of others and form Social Links to develop not only them but yourself as well. This power will control every facet of your life and your abilities."

"The power to control others… Isn't that taking advantage of them?"

"Not at all. If both parties have something to gain, then neither truly benefits more than the other. It is a completely equal exchange of information and growth." Gordon proceeded to continue off of Igor's retort.

"As my master states, social links are not one-sided. Through this equal exchange, both parties do benefit. There is a balance between both parties, and you will find it will be naturally honored. As you are the one who begins the relationship, it is possible they could help you as well even when least expected." As Gordon finishes, Igor takes the final say.

"The power of the wild card has never failed to show me its fascinating wonder… I look forward in seeing how you tip the scales of your destiny… Never falter." Igor chuckled with that final word as the Velvet room seemed to dissipate into whiteness...

Yumeko woke up in her bed, at six o'clock as usual. She got, changed, ate breakfast, and headed to school. As she was walking to the gates, Mayuri caught up behind her, although she had some bags underneath her eyes. She had a drink in her hand, her favorite coffee mug to be exact, however, it was almost empty. The two walked side by side.

"Hey, Good morning." Mayuri said starting the conversation "Good morning to you too. Did you sleep well?"

"U-uh yeah I did…. Kinda." "I sense a but coming up."

"N-no but's. Just a lot of caffeine to get me going!" "You sure about that? You look tired."

"I'm fine! I just had a hard night is all. I was just nervous for cheerleading today and whatnot!"

"Ookay. Do you want to talk about what happened last time? You know… The place with all the creepy things, a talking fox?"

"No!"

"Whoa. I-I was just asking a question..." Mayuri got flushed and looked down at her cup.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I-I just don't want to talk about that place again okay? Besides, we promised each other not bring that up again. Let's just forget about it, and hope it was just a one-off thing."

"You got it." Yumeko smiled at her friend and put her hand on her shoulder, comforting her. Mayuri smiled back with the best of her ability and the two reached the gates together.

The pair trudged along to homeroom, with their teacher, Mr. Ryo, handing out a paper to each person. He turned to face the class after everyone had one.

"Alright class, I know we just started the term, and you're probably going to hate me for this. But, since this is a homeroom class, we should strive for success. We may only have one year together, but we should make the best of it. That's why you're all being assigned to a group project."

The class looked at each with despair and shock, although Yumeko's face was blank. "The project is… Entrance Exam Groups. I know as Seniors, you have a lot of work to do, and believe me, I'd like to help lessen that load. But I cannot stress how important it is to be ready for the entrance exams. It will determine your future from here on out, so I want to be sure it will be fruitful. Don't think of it as a burden, rather a way to be prepared for the future. It'll be fun!"

He started to assign groups on his notepad and started to call each group by number and name. The class was murmuring and already the mood in the room changed from being ecstatic to tired. As each group was called up, people reacted differently to each of their pairings. Some were happy that they were with their group of friends, others were stuck with people they never even said a word to before. Before they knew it, it was time for Yumeko's group to be called.

"Group Number 7. Yumeko Kanashii, Mayuri Kanari, and Akio Kataname."

Yumeko and Mayuri looked at each other in relief, but then they started to look back at Akio. He didn't seem all that thrilled to be in their group. The girls decided to get the awkwardness over with and got up to sit next to Akio. He looked at them and raised an eyebrow, his hands still clasped in front of him.

"So…. We're in a group now. Nice to have you on board Kataname!" Mayuri said with a somewhat forced smile.

"Guess I'm lucky to be assigned with you huh Kanari? Ryo-sensei sure's got a sense of humor. Well. The least I can do is be formal to your friend here. Well my name is Akio Kataname and sensei is sticking me with you two." The tone in his voice implied a sense of rot. The look on his face could be mistaken as a delinquent, but he doesn't seem like the type to get involved in business like that.

"Uh. Nice to meet you too?" Yumeko said with a bit of unease.

Akio spent a quick moment glaring at her direction following her acknowledgment. "Hey, quit it with that glare you're making at her, she's only just moved here you know.

You're going to creep her out."

"Uh-ah-okay. Yeah, sorry about that." "Man. You're still the same aren't you?"

"What do you mean by that?" Yumeko asked

"I'm saying he's still giving off that creepy look when I met him last year. The story was awkward enough…"

"Hey come on now! She doesn't need to know that much. It's not like I can help it anyway."

"Ugh fine. But don't try any funny business with her alright? I mean it."

"Seriously? Do I come off that lacking in visual communication to you? I at least like to think of myself not coming in bad taste. Unlike a certain someone…."

"W-what is that supposed to mean?!"

"Hey, settle down Mayuri… No need to get into a fight." "..."

"Sorry about that, she's just a bit cranky."

"Geez. You're the one that brought the subject in the first place. You okay by the way?

You look terrible..."

"Shut up. It's… Okay. Don't worry about it." Mayuri looked down at the floor. The group was quiet for a bit, but Akio broke it.

"Well, I bet you must be thrilled to have someone you can rely on around here Kanashii. It's definitely going to make things more fun for somebody," he muttered with a sigh.

"Well, it's true. Having Mayuri around does make me feel more comfortable living here. I hope we can be good friends this term. Besides, we'll be seeing each other a lot." Yumeko said extending her hand to him. Mayuri was taken aback by her friendly gesture, snapping her out of her trance. Even with his somewhat cold introduction, she did her best to try and make friends with him.

Kataname sat there with a look of surprise at the gesture reaching out toward him. Rather than taking any action, he simply just looked away with a frown, unable to accept it.

"Classic Kataname keeps to himself after all. Oh well. I guess we should get going then, we have politics next." Mayuri pointed out. Yumeko looked at her and put her hand away as they grabbed their bags and left.

Kataname continued to just sit there after the girls left. Resting his hand on his head, he contemplated.

"Damn it..." With a whisper, he found himself sitting alone, again per usual.

As school winded down, Yumeko waited by the gymnasium for Mayuri to greet her before she goes to cheer practice. Nearly fifteen minutes passed, and the cheerleading team had already begun their routines. Akio, who was just now leaving the main campus, spotted Yumeko and walked up to her.

"Hey. You waiting for Kanari huh?" He asked bag slung over his shoulder. "Yeah…. She's usually never this late to practice. She's always on time and would

freak out if she wasn't."

"Well about that…. Um, I'm not sure if you heard, but Kanari already left school.

About thirty minutes early in fact." Yumeko shared her shock with a confused look on her face. Why would she leave school that early? Mayuri wasn't the kind of girl to do that.

"H-how do you know this?"

"We have Math together for our final period. She left just a few minutes after the class had started. I don't know what's up, but I just wanted to let you know."

"T-thank you! I should check up on her, and see if she's alright."

"You do that." He paused for a moment. Yumeko was already starting to pick up the pace to the gates when he called out to her.

"Hey! Just to let you know… Kanari actually changed a lot over the course of last year. I'm not sure if you noticed, but she always wasn't like this. All preppy and bubbly. She's a kind girl, don't get me wrong. Maybe she acts like that regularly around you… But when I met her last year, I saw her change from being that kind, shy girl, to something I don't think she is all that comfortable with…. Anyways, I'm just rambling now, tell her I hope she gets better." Akio said as he headed off in the opposite direction.

It gave Yumeko some pause to think about what he said. It may be true that she changed, she even acknowledged it when she greeted her back at the station. But she's still her closest friend and wants to make sure nothing serious has happened to her.

Calling her cellphone as many times as she could, Yumeko knew something was wrong with Mayuri. She couldn't have lost her cell phone, as the call always went through, but took time to reach her voicemail. She didn't have her address either, she never needed it in the first place.

Taking a deep breath to center herself, she thought of one more place she thought Mayuri could be in. Yumeko had finally reached her home. As she entered, she found Aika and Junko sitting on the couch watching the news report. Aika cocked her head around and was happy to see Yumeko, as she rarely had the night off. Junko was happy as well, and she bounced to her side.

"Hey welcome back." Aika greeted "Welcome home!" Junko said in reply

"Thanks. Oh, I'm surprised to see you, Aunt Aika. Normally you'd be working right?" "Yeah, but the office decided to switch my shifts around. They needed more people for

the morning shift than the afternoon to night shift, so I happily took the morning. Besides, I think the kids would like to have me around more often now." Aika said in confidence

"Mhmm! I'm glad mommy's home now!" "Dinner's on the table, go ahead and eat up."

She quickly ate her meal and went upstairs to try and reach that other world they went to before.

"I may not be able to leave that place again… But I have to be sure. I need to know if she's there or not."


End file.
